Fullmetal Alchemist- Tangled Style!
by NiefThing
Summary: A fun story featuring the beloved characters of Fullmetal Alchemist in the Tangled universe. Starring Tisha Elric as Mother Gothel, Alphonse Elric as Rapunzel, and Edward Elric as Flynn Rider. Fluff! Giggles! Romance! Elricest? Not really, 'cause they're not related in this universe. Enjoy!
1. Best Laid Plans

_Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this. I have been on a tremendous Fullmetal Alchemist kick lately and of course, I was immediately drawn to the precious ball of sunshine known as Alphonse Elric. I found a very interesting theory on TV Tropes that suggested that perhaps Trisha Elric was mentally/emotionally abusive to her sons, especially Al. Of course, my strange brain drew connections to Mother Gothel from Disney's_ _Tangled_ _. I feel like Al's optimism, loyalty, and resilience really fit the character of Rapunzel. I desperately wanted to get this idea out there. I cannot draw to save my life, so rather than make Al-as-Disney-Princesses fanart, I wrote this. Without further ado, Here it is, the first of its kind, the Fullmetal Alchemist Tangled! AU._

 _-OWO-_

This is the story of how I died.

Just kidding! This is actually a very fun story and the truth is it really isn't even mine. This is the story of a boy. A boy named Alphonse Elric. And it starts with the sun.

Once upon a time, a single golden drop of pure sunlight fell from the heavens. This small drop of sun fell all its way from the heavens and landed in the soil on a fjord, from which it grew a magical golden flower. The flower's golden petals gave only a small indication of the power which coursed through its plant-y veins. A simple bystander would not know of the power standing before him. But the aged woman approaching was anything but a simple bystander. There was something queer about her aside from her hobbled gait and wrinkled flesh. An odd smell seemed to follow her, almost as if her body was falling fragmenting off rather than simply decaying as an old person does. Or perhaps the scent was the stench of desperation. Perhaps it was that desperation that allowed her to see the flower for what it truly was. But we'll get back to her later.

Centuries passed. On an island a hop, skip, and a boat ride away, a kingdom grew. This kingdom was ruled by a beloved King and Queen. The Queen was about to have a child. Pregnancies had always seemed to be cursed in her family. Her own mother had nearly been killed by the strain of carrying her. The queen was running out of time. The king and the rest of the kingdom realized it was time to look for a miracle, or, in this case, the magic golden flower.

They would not find it. The old woman, looking not in such a bad way as the had before, would not allow it. She was not actually a human, merely a copy of one. An immortal copy with the ability to live forever but without the ability to remain young forever. She was truly crumbling into dust until she found this flower. Her lack of basic humanity might be what drove her to selfishly keep the flower for her own for all those years. The flower had kept her young for those years, and to access those powers, all she had to do was draw a transmutation circle around the base, focus her energy, and allow the power to wash over her. When the flower's magic had run its course, a beautiful young woman stood in the old lady's stead.

She admired the flower's handiwork, the smooth, spotless skin, the luscious hair and lips, as she always did after the transmutation. A rustling and a light behind her warned of a search party's approach. She was well prepared to hide her precious flower from those heathens. She placed a makeshift fake bush over the flower and rushed away, hoping to avoid contact that could lead to awkward questions. She spun and scampered away, in her haste knocking the bush askew and exposing her precious flower to the lanterns of the search party. She was relegated to the bushes as the party carted her prize away.

Back at the castle, the flower was picked, made into an infusion, and given to the Queen to drink. The flower's magic healed the Queen, and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, with beautiful golden hair and eyes the color of stardust. The baby was named 'Alphonse' and was officially given his mother's surname, Elric. Unbeknownst to him or his parents, the flower's abilities had been passed to him through the Queen. The kingdom celebrated his birth by launching a flying lantern into the sky.

For that one moment, everything was perfect.

And then that moment ended.

In the dead of night, the homunculus known as Mother Trisha snuck into the palace and stole the newborn prince from his crib. The baby's cries woke his parents, who immediately raised the alarm and sent out search parties yet again, trying to find their precious child.

In all fairness, Mother Trisha was fully intending to return the infant prince. She had no use for babies. The sniveling balls of poo and goo held no allure for her. She simply took the child to milk it of its powers. She planned to perform a simply transmutation to remove the child's abilities and then return the now-normal infant to its parents.

Of course, it wasn't that simple. 'Best laid plans' and all.

The magic wouldn't transfer directly to her. In desperation, she instead took the magic and placed it in a necklace, just a small gold chain she happened to have with her. Ready to be done with the entire venture, she tried to leave with the necklace, leaving the baby alone on the ground. But the farther she got from the baby, the older she become. The magic would not work when separated from the baby. Hobbling back, she scooped the baby up. It could not be allowed to get away, but what would she do with it? It could not be allowed to get away from her. She would raise it as her own, far far away from everyone that could take it away. A tower would do nicely. Yes, it would.

She erected a will hidden tower in a natural gorge, the only entrance concealed by a thick wall of ivy. Within that lonely tower, she raised the prince as her own. All he had to do was clap and touch her, and instantly she would be young again.

Trisha had found her new magic flower, and this time, she was determined to keep it hidden. The prince grew up with no knowledge of the outside world.

But the walls of that tower could not hide everything. Each year on his birthday, the King and Queen released thousands of lanterns into the sky in the hope that one day their lost child would return. On his birthday, he would steal to the window and watch the 'floating lights,' not knowing they were meant for him and praying that his mother would not find him staring so foolishly at the sky.

Mother Trisha planned to keep him there forever, locked away from the keeping her young and beautiful until the end of time.

Of course, it wasn't that simple.

'Best laid plans' and all.

 _-OWO-_

 _Yah I know its boring but it is a first chapter y'all. Cut me some slack :P If you hadn't guessed, the repeated reference to 'best laid plans' is a reference to my favorite poem of all time: "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns. I highly recommend that you check it out! Please review! I would love to hear what you guys think!_

Mwah ;)


	2. The Beginning

It's been over a month, but here I am! Chapter two for the lovely...20 or so people who gave it a read. Oh well. Enjoy! Please review!

Disclaimer: Do I look like Miss Arawaka? No? I thought not.

 ** _Chapter Two_**

 _Pursuit. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She was in the open now, and would be caught if she did not hide quickly. She scampered away, disguising himself the best she could against a painted flowerpot._

 _"_ _Aha!_ _" his pursuer threw open the large wooden window that simultaneously functioned as the least accessible door ever constructed by man, or homunculus in this case. He gave a quick glance around the windowsill/doorstep, seeming to miss his prize. He notched his hip, tousling the fringe of his hair. Eyes sparkling with mirth, he heaved a sigh. "Oh well, I guess Shao Mei's not hiding out here," he said, exaggerating each word as he turned his back on the window._

 _Thinking she had evaded her pursuer, the panda gave a giggle-like snort, unaware that she had just given away her position. A faint clap sounded from inside and a fist of the wood she was standing on engulfed him, the practiced wielder making sure not to hurt her even as she was swept up. She gave a yelp of surprise as she was brought face to face with her pursuer as he giggled. "Gotcha," he laughed as he released the panda, setting the wood back into its proper shape with another clap and a flash of electric light. "That brings the total to twenty-two for me… how about twenty-three out of forty-five?"_

 _He received an annoyed look from the thoroughly-done-with-never-winning panda on the windowsill._

 _"Okay, well what do you want to do?''_

 _The panda trilled happily and pawed at the wide world waiting in front of them, inches forward and about fifty feet down._

 _"Yeah, I don't think so." the boy smiled as he picked up the petite panda and swung his legs out so that they dangled in the air above the ground, "I like it in here and so do you." He tapped the little creature's wet black nose for emphasis, ignoring the reproachful look he received in return. "Come on, Mei-Mei, it's not so bad in there," he said laughingly as he took them both inside._

 _He climbed the lattice within the house and reached for the lever that opened the skylight. He pulled it and flooded the rooms below with warm light. He quickly slid to the floor and allowed the energetic bear to climb on his shoulders and help him with his chores._

 _The tower was very small, just his room, a kitchen/living area, and Mother's room, the only room with a door, so cleaning up didn't take very long. He was high-energy and up early, and had the help of an equally high-energy (though lacking in opposable thumbs and therefore not very helpful) mini panda, so he time until Mother returned from her business in the outside. He tried to keep himself busy with reading and drawing on the walls, even absently transmuting patterns into the wooden walls, already littered with bored spirals from years before. He baked, drew all over the walls some more, and played a little on the piano and his mother's guitar. He made candles and soap, and a small dress for Shao Mei._

 _It was all so inane._

 _He ended up, as usual, by the window, watching the sky just over the ravine, knowing that in just two nights, it would be filled with curious floating lights. They were truly beautiful, appearing once a year, on his birthday. He wondered if they were meant for him somehow, but Mother had told him nothing about them, and who out there would know about him and do such a lovely thing just for him? Mother always said that the outside world was selfish and cruel, and that he must stay in the tower to stay safe. How could a world that produced such beautiful things be to cruel?_

 _He craved an adventure to the outside. He craved to go out into the world and witness it, if only for a day or two. He specifically wanted to witness the floating lights at their source. If he saw them, he told himself, he would be happy to return to the tower and stay safe where he belonged. He would not allow himself to think that contact with the outside world would only fortify his desire to see it._

Tonight _, he allowed himself to think,_ when Mother gets home, I will ask her. _With cautious optimism, he smiled and fiddled with his hair. It was long and golden, sweeping his lower back, a few shades darker than his eyes. It had never been cut, and it glowed when he healed Mother. It got in the way quite a lot, but he would never, ever cut it. If he did, Mother said, he would no longer be able to use his healing alchemy, no longer able to heal his dear mother. Even thinking about losing her made his heart race. She was all he had._

 _But still, he wondered._

 _When would his life begin?_

Elsewhere

 _A man inhaled sharply as he glanced over the edge of the tower. He never had been fond of heights. But that wouldn't matter if they pulled off this job. If they managed to get out without dying, nothing would ever-_

 _His thoughts were interrupted by him losing his footing on the clay shingles of the palace roof. He slipped, just managing to right himself and jump onto an adjacent tower, hearing his companions follow him. He had been lucky. The guards had not spotted him yet, and they were right above where they needed to be. Making sure that none of the guards so far below were looking, he leaned over the edge, looking at the world from his superior vantage point._

 _"Wow," he smiled cheekily to nobody, tossing his golden braid, "I could get used to a view like this."_

 _"Ryder!" the eyepatched of his two companions called. "C'mere," he gestured to the hole the two who were not distracted by the sheer glory of the world had managed to make in the ceiling, looking down on their prize._

 _"Hold on," Ryder gazed for a moment more, then leaned back on his other hip, "Yep, I'm used to it. Guys I want a castle."_

 _"We do this job," Non-Eyepatch smiled cruelly, "You can buy your own castle." He snatched the shorter man by the back of his shirt and tied a cord around his waist, lowering him through the hole to steal their prize from beneath the noses of her guards._

 _One such unsuspecting guard suddenly sneezed loudly, breaking the stillness of the hall._

 _"Ugh. Hay fever?" I voice from behind him questioned._

 _"Yeah," he sent an embarrassed glance back, making brief contact with the golden eyes of the man hanging from the ceiling by his waist, holding the lost Prince's crown and a simple brown leather satchel. Suspecting nothing he glanced back ahead._

 _"Wait," he did a double take. Looking back quickly, he saw the edges of feet rushing from the brand-new skylight in the Hall of the Crown. "Wha-wait! Hey! Wait!"_

 _By the time the guards were mobilized, the thieves were halfway across the bridge to the forest, two of them groaning as the smallest of them kept up his witty monologue. "Can't you just imagine me in a castle of my own? Cause I certainly can," he gasped between breaths, " Ah, the things we've seen and its only eight in the morning! Gentlemen," he addressed the men in his company even though they were decidedly not 'gentlemen' in even the loosest sense of the word, "this is a very big day!"_


	3. The Plot Thickens!

This one doesn't really need a preamble, does it? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own neither Fullmetal Alchemist nor Tangled. They both belong to their rightful owners. I in no way profit from using their ideas.

 ** _Chapter 3_**

 _"This is it. This is a very big day Mei-mei" Alphonse giggled and fiddled nervously with his charm as he addressed Shao Mei, "I'm finally gonna do it! I'm gonna ask her!"_

 _"Flower, my love!" a voice burbled up from ground beneath the window, "Let me up, sunshine."_

 _Alphonse gave a little squeak and glanced at his pet. "It's time!" he giggled to cover his nerves. Shao Mei puffed her little chest in a gesture of encouragement, earning a full laugh from Al. "I know, I know. Go on, don't let her see you."_

 _"Alphonse?" the voice, belonging to a gorgeous, but graying, young woman at the base of the tower, "I'm not getting any younger down here."_

 _"Coming, Mother," Al opened the large door, grabbed the rope kept by the door for the purpose, and tossed one end down to her. She grabbed the end, folded it back, making a step for herself, allowing her son to pull her up the tower._

 _"Flower, dearest," Mother said as she stepped into the tower, greeted by her gasping son, "How do you do that every single day without fail. It looks absolutely exhausting, darling."_

 _"Oh," Al smiled as he got his breath back, "it's nothing."_

 _"Then I don't know why it takes so long!" Seeing Al's offended expression, Mother brushed past him and laughed, "Oh-h-oh, darling, I'm just teasing."_

 _Al forced an appreciative snort, then cleared his throat. "Alright, so-" Mother was no longer in front of him so he drew up to her side, even as she looked into the large mirror that hung on the wall, "As you know tomorrow is a very- "_

 _"Flower, look in that mirror. Do you know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful person who deserves nothing but the best I can give her."_

 _Al smiled at the gesture. It was so thoughtful of Mother to—_

 _"Oh, look, you're here too." Mother laughed again and gave him a playful shove that he did not reciprocate, "Darling, I'm just teasing, stop taking everything so seriously." The laughter died from her voice._

 _"Um, okay…" the child was beginning to get annoyed, "So, Mother, as I was-"_

 _"Flower-dear, I simply cannot listen to you when I look such a mess"_

 _Al picked up on Mother's not-so-subtle hint, barely restrained an eye roll, and obliged his mother with a clap and a touch. Golden lightning sparkled across Mother Trisha's lightly age-spotted skin, healing what had been hurt, changing the Fates' design. When the light subsided, Mother was standing as a completely remade and truly gorgeous human being._

 _"So Mother," Al dove into his spiel before she could get a word in edgewise, "Earlier I was saying tomorrow was a very big day andyoudidn'tletmefinshsoI'mjustgonnatellyou: it's my birthday!" He punctuated the statement by latching onto Mother's arm, rocking them both with the force of his hug._

 _"No no no," Mother pushed him back as she spoke, "Can't be. I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year."_

 _"That's the funny thing about birthdays. They're kind of an annual thing." Al smiled, fully aware that the expression did not match the growing apprehension gnawing at his gut. "Mother, I'm turning eighteen, and, uh," he led with a simple statement of fact, knowing that Mother could not get riled up from the plain and obvious truth, "I wanted to ask-what I really want for this birthday-ah, actually what I've wanted for quite a few birthdays-" aware that he was being incoherent and rapidly losing confidence, he descended into a mumble._

 _"Flower, stop with the mumbling," Mother dominated the conversation again, "You know how I feel about the mumbling." Adding a mocking hand-mouth for emphasis, she continued, "Blah, blah-blah. It's very annoying-I'm just teasing you're adorable I love you so much darling." She pinched Al's cheek and moved away._

 _"I want to see the floating lights!"_

 _It was Mother's turn to be taken aback. She paused, an apple halfway to her mouth, and coughed a bit to shake off her surprise. "What?"_

 _Al flushed. He hadn't meant to spill like that. "Oh, well, I was hoping you would take me to see the floating lights."_

 _"Oh," Mother's customary sureness returned, "You mean the stars."_

 _"Th-that's the thing," he gestured to one of the many drawings on the walls, this one appearing to be a detailed star chart, "I've charted stars, and they're always constant, but these appear on my birthday, Mother. Only on my birthday. And I can't help but feel like they're meant for me." Here, he paused, trying to gauge Mother's reaction. An unreadable expression. "I need to see them, Mother, and not just from a window. I need to know what they are."_

 _"You want to go outside?" Mother made a scandalized noise, "Why, Flower. You simply can't. You're delicate."_

 _"But-"_

 _"Do you honestly think you know better than me, Flower dear? Something will go wrong. There are ruffians, thugs, and vampires out there."_

 _"Vampires?"_

 _"Yes!" Mother must have caught the mutinous look in her child's eyes, for she grabbed his chin and twisted him to face her, "You're sloppy, underdressed, and immature. Those monsters will eat you up alive." Satisfied with the newly fearful gaze, she danced away and continued, "Gullible, naïve, ditzy and vague. But Mother understands, Mother's here to help you. All I have is one request."_

 _Alphonse went willingly into her arms, welcoming the comfort even as he knew what would come._

 _"Flower?" Mother tilted his head up to look into her eyes._

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Don't ever ask to leave this tower again."_

 _He looked down, dejected but not surprised, "Yes, Mother."_

 _Mother clicked her tongue at the look, "I love you very much, dear."_

 _Al gave a halfhearted smile, "I love you more."_

 _"I love you most," a kiss on the top of his head as she pushed him back to look into his eyes again, "Don't forget it. You'll regret it." She tapped his nose gently before striding to the window, hooking the rope over the hook, and handing the opposite end to her son._

 _"Ta-ta! I'll see you in a bit, my Flower." Called over her shoulder as she left him alone again._

 _"I'll be here."_

 _"What? No. No no nononono this is bad. This is very very bad."_

 _Three cruel eyes fixed on the overdramatic blond. "What?" Eyepatch hissed._

 _The blond man whipped around, holding his own image in the form of the ludicrously inaccurate wanted poster. "They just can't get my nose right."_

 _Typical. "Who cares?" Non-Eyepatch snarled._

 _"Easy for you to say," a petulant note in the man's voice as he gestured to the likeness of his companions, "You guys look amazing."_

 _A shrill whistle and the stamping of palace horses sent the trio running again. They had not gone far when they found themselves trapped in a ravine. The only way out was up._

 _"Alright. Give me a boost, and I'll pull you up," although he would never admit it out loud, the blond man was much smaller than his companions, so it made perfect sense that he should go first._

 _His companions shared a long-suffering glance, "Give us the satchel first."_

 _"Wha-! I don't-," Ryder sputtered, "After all we've been through together you guys don't trust me?"_

 _A flat look. "Ouch," Ryder said laconically as he grudgingly surrendered his prize._

 _A human tower was formed, and the small blond climbed to the top (stepping in as many unsavory places as possible along the way), boosting himself to the top of the ravine, where he looked down at his companions._

 _"Now help us up, pretty boy," the thug on top help out a hand._

 _"Sorry," came the sneak's reply, smug face looking down as he held up the satchel, "My hands are full."_

 _He was off at a full sprint before his former companions had time to react._


	4. They Meet At Last!

So, to preface, I am so sorry this chapter took so long. Things have been absolutely crazy with school lately, and I have had very little leisure time to write. Finally, that stuff is over, at least for now, and I will hopefully be updating more often from now on. Enjoy!

 ** _Chapter 4_**

 _Flynn Ryder lost his footing and nearly tumbled into the bushes as he ran. Falling would spell certain doom. He could hear palace horses thumping through the brush behind him. A yell from the commander, "Retrieve the satchel at any cost!", and the answering yell from his men warned him of their approach. Did the horses echo the men, or was that a figment of his oxygen-deprived imagination as he gasped for breath? An unmistakable click of a crossbow being loaded, and he ducted under a log, slowing himself down but saving his read from being impaled on those bolts. There was a sudden drop in the forest floor, and again he almost tripped again, dodging nimbly around trees, trying to shake off his pursuers. He leapt over a fallen log, expecting the horses to balk._

 _"We've got 'im now, Roy," the commander breathed behind him._ What kind of name is Roy for a horse? _he thought even as the horse's hooves thumped ever closer behind him. Seeing a low hanging vine ahead, he was struck with wild inspiration. He grabbed the vine and allowed his momentum to carry him around, neatly unhorsing the commander and taking the stupidly-named horse for his own. His triumphant cheer was cut short when his mount dug his hooves into the dirt, forcing them to a stop and looking back with an almost human expression of disgust._

 _"Come on horsie. Forward!"_

 _Another human-like snort of defiance. The mustang snapped at the satchel in his hands._

 _"No," Ryder cautioned the horse, even as it snapped again, twisting and pulling its body around with its head as he tried to reach the satchel, "No! Stop it. Stop. It. You're gonna ruin it…"_

 _With a snap, the horse's jaws clamped around the leather satchel, trying to tug it from his grasp. Neither side budged, only tugged harder, and the satchel snapped out of both their grips. It flew through the air and nearly fell down the ravine, thankfully catching on a twig the far end of a fallen tree. The two creatures inexplicably found themselves sharing a glance before springing for their prize. The mustang jumped forward, using his considerable size to his advantage and had headway until Ryder grabbed his front legs and pulled him down. He reciprocated with a nip to his boot, tipping him onto his face. The horse managed to reach the tree first, balancing precariously on the thick trunk as the man jumped onto his back and was promptly unseated. He fell for an agonizing second before grabbing onto the underside of the trunk, expertly avoiding the horse's hooves as he grabbed the satchel. He turned back to the horse, presenting the trophy and gloating as only a thief could and would have continued trumpeting his victory if, at that moment, the tree had not given an alarming snap and sent them both hurtling down the side of the cliff._

 _Both horse and human released an undignified shriek, clinging to the traitorous branch as they fell. A rock jutted out from the cliffside, and split their refuge neatly in half, sending both of them rolling in opposite directions into the forest below._

 _The horse hit the forest floor, dizzy but miraculously not having rolled into any trees. He let out an almost comical puff of air and leapt to his hooves. A search with his eyes proved ineffective, so he did the only logical thing and put his nose to the ground, sniffing like a dog._

What is wrong with this horse? _Ryder fought to keep his breathing quiet from behind a rock that concealed him from the psychotic animal's gaze. He listened to the horse's hooves slowly stamp away, and stood up. He stretched up, trying to see where the horse had gone, and reached out a hand to brace himself on the ivy-covered wall behind him. He lost balance and almost fell over with a start as the ivy gave way beneath his fingers. There was no rock behind it at all!_

 _Hoofbeats sounded behind him and a sharp neigh rang out through the forest. He'd been spotted! Flynn shoved the curtain aside, stepping through and backing away from the green light filtering through the leaves. He didn't want his outline to show through. He held his breath, hearing the blood rushing in his ears as the horse stamped around in front of the ivy, looking for him. After what seemed like an eternity, it finally gave a defeated snort and stomped away._

 _He released the breath he'd been holding and finally took note of his surroundings. The little alcove behind the ivy was not just a little cave, it was a tunnel! There was an opening at the end, and he could just see sunlight and a field outside the mouth of the tunnel. Walking carefully so that his footsteps would not echo in the confined space, he exited the tunnel, casting a look behind him to make certain he was not being followed. He turned back around and his jaw dropped. There was a tower! Tall, but not tall enough for the top to be seen from the outside, it stood imposingly in the middle of the clearing. Oddly enough, there were no visible stairs leading to the top, nor a visible door that could lead to stairs of some kind. The only entrance he could see was a good sixty or so feet above the ground, a number that seemed far smaller when another whinny shattered the peace of the clearing. He was still being tracked; this was not a time to stand exposed in a clearing. He used two spare arrows as handholds, digging them into the crumbling mortar between the tower bricks as he climbed up, towards the only visible entrance. A final reach, and he pulled himself into the tower, pushing the doors open quickly and slamming them behind him._

 _Finally,_ finally, _he was safe. He breathed hard for a moment, and finally let himself admire his prize in the satchel. He opened the flap, smiling as he saw the jewels twinkling in the meager light._

 _"Alone at last." He would wait here until nightfall and then, under the cover of night, he would abscond with his winnings, maybe find a buyer-_

 _The sound of a metal object being swung through the air, and a heavy connection with the back of his neck, and Flynn Ryder knew no more._

 _Alphonse Elric, frying pan still in swing, shrieked and ran away from the person he had just murdered. He hid behind one of the dressmaking mannequins, unaware that his feet and legs were still exposed, and peered over the top._

 _The body did not move. It appeared to be a man wearing a bright red coat with a black cross on the back. The man's blond hair was worn long and held back in a braid, and his bangs covered most of his face. He appeared to have dropped a leather bag of some sort._

 _Still peering cautiously, he pushed the mannequin closer, and carefully,_ carefully _, pulled poked the body on the shoulder with the pan. He drew back, prepared to either strike or run if it moved, but it did not. He looked at Shao Mei for reassurance, and was met with rather confident 'Poke him again' sort of look._

 _It was far easier to be brave when you were not the one doing the poking._

 _Nevertheless, Al prodded him again, turning his head so that his nose was not crushed into the floor. His bangs still covered most of his face, and he might not have been breathing. Not breathing… did vampires need to breathe? Mother had told him there were vampires in the world outside… could this strange man be one of them? He hesitantly reached out with the smaller end of the pan and pulled back his gums. No sharp teeth. Satisfied that he was not a vampire, Al withdrew the pan just a little, before reaching down and flipping back the bangs covering his eyes._

 _He was… handsome. Granted, this was the first man Al had ever seen besides himself, but there was something in the shape of his brow and finely molded nose and chin that made Al exhale hard and lean closer._

 _T the man's eyes snapped open and Al only had time to register that they were a magnificent shade of gold before his pan was coming down and the man was once more still._


End file.
